The Interiors are Chase Duncan (vox/gtr), Collin Jordan (bass), and Brian Lubinsky (drums). After self-releasing an EP and beginning work on a full-length CD early in 2007, the band quickly found a label and reached an agreement to release the disc on 54-40 or Fight. The initial elation over inking a deal proved to be short lived, however, as the brutal Chicago wind slammed a metal door shut on Duncan's hand the very day after the signing. Half an inch of his left index finger was amputated, production of the album was suspended and the future of the band lay in doubt. With the band on hiatus, the rest of the year was a grueling period of recovery and rehabilitation, but by late fall Duncan's hand had healed well enough to begin playing guitar again. In subsequent months, the album was not only completed, but managed to supersede the band's own expectations.
The Interiors' eponymous debut infuses inventive songwriting with an emphasis on strong, pulsing rhythms. The drums eschew grandiose shifts in favor of subtle variations on constant themes that run the range from stripped down, Stax-influenced backbeats to an eccentricity inspired more by African music than prog rock. This musical framework is fleshed out by hook filled, Mike Mills-goes-to-Kingston bass lines, and an array of arpeggios, distorted drones, and Richards meets Santiago riffs on guitar.
Duncan's lyrics are steeped in the dark, story-rich heritage of his birthplace, the American South. The Interiors' debut is a place where the bodies of the deceased are used for personal gain, men are paid to dig their own graves, and love is just a brief respite from self-destruction. Often obliquely addressing political concerns, the songs consistently balance the seemingly dark subject matter with an understated sense of humor, and ultimately carry a message of personal redemption and hope. This seeming contradiction is manifested not only in the diversity of material across the album, but the vocal approach itself, in which visceral barks coexist alongside sophisticated, winding melodies.
"The group's swagger comes from the innate chemistry in its swinging rhythm section ... with Duncan's sneering vocals, jagged guitars and socially charged lyrics leading the charge" - Chicago Tribune
"Driven by sturdy, throbbing rhythms, The Interiors' efficient debut avoids ostentatious instrumentation to present 11 taut songs" - Under The Radar
"Bands like Pavement, Built to Spill and the Pixies ... there are still bands like the Interiors with the same spirit as those early indie bands" - Free Times
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